Teaching someone to drive 6MT on the Z

frost

I taught someone to drive stick, and it was not going well. One thing I did that really made a difference was not letting them shift, only working the clutch. So we went to a huge parking lot, and all he had to do was concentrate on proper operation of the clutch while I worked the shifter. That enabled him to learn the basics of the clutch without getting overwhelmed by adding in the shifting.

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370z OG

Matt

I didn't let her leave 1st gear for the first few nights. I've had her stop and go a few hundred times, getting used to just engaging and disengaging the clutch. It appears she may be done stalling in 1st, but now shes "popping the clutch" out really fast after going into 2nd or 3rd and it's jerking the car.

She'll get it soon enough, from what I can tell, I just wanted to get rid of any concerns that some damage may have been caused from the numerous, early stalls.

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"Any man who can drive a 370z while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the Z the attention it deserves." Albert Einstein....modified.

frost

Is stalling bad for the car? - Yahoo! Answers

Does stalling a car damage the transmission? | Answerbag

How muhc can you stall before it does real damage? - 8th Generation Honda Civic Forum

Can letting off the clutch too fast ruin your car? - Yahoo! Answers

You can read these, but they pretty much confirm my answer. Someone did make a good point that it's far better to let the clutch out too quick than too slowly.

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370z OG

Matt

Thanks for the links. I'll check them all out.

That's what I told her too, at least to make her feel better, haha. I think that's the problem too. She's so afraid of "riding the clutch" that she's letting it out way too soon.

I'm trying to find the right way to tell her it's ok to "ride the clutch" while the engine engages, and that you have to keep the clutch halfway depressed for a second or two until the engine "takes over".

Good info, thanks!

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"Any man who can drive a 370z while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the Z the attention it deserves." Albert Einstein....modified.